Employees don’t sleep enough to function at their best

Are your employees constantly yawning and looking tired at their desks? You are not alone.

Unfortunately, new research from Glassdoor, revealed three in four (74%) full and part time staff get less than eight hours of sleep on a typical work night, averaging just 6.9 hours of sleep – slightly under the amount required for them to function at their best.

According to the National Sleep Foundation and National Institute for Health, most healthy adults (ages 18-64) need between seven to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their best.

The Glassdoor survey, conducted online by Harris Poll among 1,077 U.S. adults employed full and part time, also revealed other sleep behaviors and insights related to employees, work and performance during the workweek.

More than three in five (66%) respondents said they would be better employees if they got more sleep, especially those ages 18-44 (73%) compared to those ages 45-64 (59%).

On average, the report found that 18-34 year old employees slept more (7.4 hours) than those ages 45-64 (6.5 hours) on a typical work night. By gender, male employees reported 7.1 hours of sleep on a typical work night, while female employees only reported 6.8 hours of sleep. Additionally, employees who are married get more sleep (7.1 hours) than employees who are not married (6.7 hours) on the average work night.

Carmel Galvin, Glassdoor chief human resources officer, said: “For many employees, a regular work day has become somewhat irregular. With technology allowing employees to work remotely and flexible work schedules on the rise, employees are empowered to step in and out of work to accommodate their personal and family lives. But with this advancement, the lines of when work starts and ends can blur, potentially impacting the rest employees receive during the week to be at their best.”

Galvin explained that sleep not only provides physical restoration to the body, but it is critical for cognitive function, concentration and productivity. He suggested that employers can help employees get enough rest by reminding them to take time off when they need it, and before bed, to avoid screen time.

However, Galvin stressed that employees should also take responsibility for their wellness and recognise most employers want people to take the rest they need to be at their best.

Interestingly, while the Glassdoor survey shows that working professionals are sleeping less than the recommended seven to nine hours, it also suggested that it’s not necessarily tied to demanding employers.

In fact, roughly three in four (74%) said their manager does encourage them to take time off when they need to take care of their health and wellness. However, about three in five (61%) of employees have acknowledged they would rather work when they feel sick than use their paid time off or sick time, with this sentiment more prevalent among younger employees ages 18-44 (70%) than those ages 45-64 (52%).